Alleged Money Transfers From a Dead Brother's Account to a Former Minister Are Revealed by the Special Prosecutor

in line with a Yawanews report. The investigation against Cecilia Dapaah, Ghana's former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, has taken a new turn when the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) uncovered strange financial activity concerning her late brother's account. Even though Dapaah's brother passed away almost two years ago, there have been substantial money transactions to her from his bank account, according to recent sources. This disclosure coincides with the OSP's investigation into Dapaah-related financial irregularities and frozen accounts, which purportedly involve sums exceeding 40 million Ghanaian cedis.

While examining the former minister's bank accounts and financial statements, the OSP discovered these surprising activities. OSP officials noted "highly suspicious transactions" connected to Essan's account in their findings. Records indicate that Essan's account has continued to receive funds to Dapaah's account even after his passing in January 2022. This has sparked debate on the authenticity and provenance of these deals, as well as how Essan's money has been managed following his death.

Ghanaian law states that a person's possessions, including bank accounts, should be administered by their personal representatives through letters of administration or probate. The OSP did point out, nonetheless, that no financial institution has any documentation of Essan's estate's probate or formal transfer of administration. The OSP is looking more closely into the nature and intent of the transactions as a result of this anomalous activity, which has increased suspicion.

According to a portion of the OSP's conclusions, "an examination of the statements in the first respondent's [Cecilia Dapaah's] bank account revealed highly suspicious transactions involving the name of the first respondent's deceased brother – Nana Akwasi Essan." The staff verified that Essan's account, which was to have been closed through estate administration procedures following his passing, had inadvertently continued to support transactions.

Investigators discovered recent transaction dates from Essan's account to Dapaah's, which further heightened the OSP's worries. In particular, it was claimed that on September 19, 2022, 10,450 cedis were transferred, and on May 20, 2023, 11,280 cedis. According to the OSP, these transactions don't fit the typical banking procedures for a deceased account holder. Furthermore, it's unknown why these cash were sent to Dapaah's accounts and who would be in charge of maintaining Essan's account.

According to the OSP, these transactions may be an attempt to evade the legal processes involved in inheritance and estate administration, which could have additional ramifications for financial misconduct or money laundering. The fact that these transactions took place a long time after Essan's passing only serves to heighten suspicion, prompting officials to wonder who approved them and whether they were connected to any larger financial schemes involving the former minister. Concerns regarding the source of the substantial cash holdings discovered in Dapaah's house and accounts prompted the start of the financial investigation into her assets. As part of an ongoing investigation into Dapaah's finances and possible abuse of public office, the OSP confiscated large sums of money and placed freezes on specific accounts after these findings.

Although Dapaah has not yet responded to these fresh accusations in public, legal experts speculate that the case might depend on establishing the authenticity and provenance of the transactions ascribed to her deceased brother. The OSP's disclosures complicate the inquiry even more and may result in additional measures if it turns out that the funds are a part of a larger conspiracy. This most recent development demonstrates the OSP's dedication to exposing financial irregularities, especially those involving powerful individuals. The office has promised to keep looking into Dapaah's finances to see if there were any legal infractions and whether more action is necessary.